"Quartet" is a beautiful film directed by Dustin Hoffman, about a retirement home for musicians as the residents prepare for a benefit concert to keep the place going.

The film stars Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Billy Connelly, and Pauline Collins, as well as opera performers, including Gwenyth Jones, Nuala Willis, John Rawnsley, Melodie Waddingham, Cynthia Morey, Justin Lavender, Vivienne Ross, and Patricia Varley.

The arrival of diva Jean Horton (Maggie Smith), once married to Reginald (Courtenay) is a reason for Reginald to completely panic. Not that Jean is in great shape either. As she's traveling to the home, she's rehearsing what she'll say to him: "We were different people then." Problems worsen when the well-meaning Cissy (Pauline Collins) who has moments of dementia, suggests that she, Cissy, Reginald, and Wif (Billy Connolly) perform the Quartet from Rigoletto at the benefit, something they performed many times. The mere suggestion causes Jean to become violent.

This is a great film about aging, about lost love, losing one's gifts, reconciliation, and coming to terms with life as it is now. The "quartet" of actors, along with Michael Gambon, are fantastic, as is the glorious soundtrack.

Opera lovers and those who appreciate great acting will love this film. Director Hoffman keeps the story from being mawkish or sentimental, mining the humor and the real emotion of the film. Beautifully done.

This is the sort of film I normally strenuously go out of my way to avoid: the feel-good movie, especially the feel-good movie (Billy Elliot comes to mind) in which characters find "redemption" and "meaning" through Art. As a rule, the Brits do this kind of film much better (Brassed Off, the Full Monty) than Hollywood (no examples I would care to cite, I haven't had my breakfast yet); this is a hybrid, being a British written and produced movie, with an American director (Dustin Hoffman) making his directorial debut at the tender age of 74.

So, why did I go to see this? "The Big Yin", Billy Connolly, of course. I dote on the man: all it takes is an imitation (and I believe that every single British comedian, of either gender, has one) to make me smile. So, aye, I knew at some point I was going to have to see this, and I am happy enough to have seen it on the big screen (there, I just did one). The acting from the entire cast is, of course, first rate; how not, when the cast is headed by Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins, and the great Tom Courtenay? With all respect to my main man, Billy Connolly, Courtenay's performance is what drives the picture; I'm old, and this man has been appearing on screen since before I was even born. We are talking some serious actor's chops here.

As for the story, it's just one of those: "will they get the Gala on stage and save this wonderful home, where they can be themselves and inspire future generations?" What do you think? I can't say that I noticed the direction, one way or the other: I suppose you would have to categorize Dustin Hoffman as an "actors' director", which is what's called for in a film like this. For me, the best part of the film was the end credits, where the actors' names were accompanied by head shots from when they appeared in opera companies and symphony orchestras way back in the day.

Yes, I know it is a bit clichéd and many of these elderly musicians seem to be pretty able for the facility they are in. Yes, there is the old lech, the scatterbrained diva, the intellectual, and so on. Still, when you have such stellar cast of some of the best of British drama, including Maggie Smith and Tom Courtenay, their charm and their chops come forward. The articulation and delivery of lines is wonderful. The plot involves the everyday doings of a home for retired composers, performers, and writers from the world of classical music. The chief conflict involves Smith and Courtenay who were once married but fell into the world of big time performance. She has a history of repeated marriages and affairs, leaving her lovers in the dust. Now, her beauty is gone and she has trouble negotiating stairs. She insists on meals in her room and special treatment. Everything centers around a quartet that she is asked to participate in. She shies away because of her age and the vocal demands. I found this a beautiful, subtle film. I know for some it is slow moving, but that is really joyful in the age of the blockbuster special effects film.